Materials Science and Engineering MSMSE

Major: Materials Science and Engineering
Degree Awarded: Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering (MSMSE)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 45.0 
Co-op Option: Available for full-time, on-campus master's-level students
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 14.1801
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 17-2131

About the Program

The master of science (MS) program in Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) aims to provide an education which encompasses both the breadth and depth of the most recent knowledge base in the materials science and engineering field in a format suitable for individuals seeking careers in academia and/or industry. In addition, the program provides students with research training through research credits and/or thesis research.

The graduate student body reflects a broad spectrum of undergraduate backgrounds. Because of the expansion into interdisciplinary areas, qualified physical and biological sciences and other engineering program graduates may also join the program. Students without an undergraduate degree in Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) are required to take MATE 503 Introduction to Materials Engineering.

The MS program in Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) is offered both on a regular full-time and on a part-time basis. 

Career Opportunities

Graduates go on to careers in engineering firms, consulting firms, law firms, private industry, business, research laboratories, academia, and national laboratories. Materials scientists and engineers find employment in such organizations as Hewlett-Packard, Boeing, Intel, 3M, Global Foundries, Chemours, Lockheed-Martin, Johnson and Johnson, Merck, AstraZeneca, Arkema, W.L. Gore, Army Research Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Air Products, Micron, Motorola and Corning.

Additional Information

For more information, visit the Materials Science and Engineering program and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering webpage.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must meet the graduate requirements for admission to Drexel University. The graduate student body reflects a broad spectrum of undergraduate backgrounds. Because of the expansion into interdisciplinary areas, qualified non-MSE engineering, physical, and biological science graduates may also join the program.

For specific information on how to apply to this program, visit Drexel University's Materials Science and Engineering Graduate Admissions webpage.

Degree Requirements 

The 45.0 quarter credits required for the MS degree include two required core courses on MATE 510 Thermodynamics of Solids and MATE 512 Introduction to Solid State Materials. Students choose four additional selected core courses.

Thesis Options

Students pursuing the thesis option are required to undertake a 9.0 credit thesis on a topic of materials research supervised by a faculty member. Alternatively, MS students can select the non-thesis option, in which case the thesis may be replaced by 9.0 credits of coursework.

All students pursuing the thesis option are required to propose an advisor-supported research thesis topic during their first year. Students are urged to make a choice of topic as early as possible and to choose appropriate graduate courses in consultation with their advisor.

The program is organized so that part-time students may complete the degree requirements in two to four years. Full-time students may complete the program in two years.

There is no general exam required for MS students. If an MS student wishes to continue for a PhD, then the student must apply and be admitted to the PhD program. (There is no guarantee that an MS student will be admitted to the PhD program.)

Materials Science and Engineering (MSMSE) Core Courses
Required core courses:
MATE 510Thermodynamics of Solids3.0
MATE 512Introduction to Solid State Materials3.0
Four additional Selected Core (SC) courses from the following: 12.0
Structure and Properties of Polymers
Kinetics
Experimental Technique in Materials
Numerical Engineering Methods
Ceramics
Mechanical Behavior of Solids
Biomedical Materials I
Any additional related courses if approved by the graduate advisor.
Technical Electives *18.0
Thesis and Alternatives9.0
9.0 credits MATE 898 (MS thesis) or 9.0 credits of Technical Electives (TE).
Optional Coop Experience **0-1
Career Management and Professional Development for Master's Degree Students
Total Credits45.0-46.0
*

Of the 18.0 technical elective credits, which may include up to 9.0 credits of MATE 897, at least 9.0 credits must be taken as Materials Science and Engineering (MATE) courses, while the rest may be taken within the College of Engineering, College of Arts and Sciences, or at other colleges if consistent with the student's plan of study (and given advance written approval by their advisor). At least 9.0 of these 18.0 technical electives must be exclusive of independent study courses or research credits.

Any graduate-level course in a STEM field (Engineering, Physical Sciences, or Computing/Data), as approved by the MSE Graduate Advisor, excluding MATE 536 (Materials Seminar), MATE 503 (Introduction to Materials Engineering) and  MATE 504 (Art of Being a Scientist).

**

Co-op is an option for this degree for full-time on-campus students. To prepare for the 6-month co-op experience, students will complete: COOP 500. The total credits required for this degree with the co-op experience is 46.

Students not participating in the co-op experience will need 45.0 credits to graduate.

Sample Plan of Study 

MS-MSE Thesis Option

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
FallCredits
MATE Selected Core Course 3.0
MATE Technical Electives 6.0
 Credits9
Winter
MATE 510 Thermodynamics of Solids 3.0
MATE 512 Introduction to Solid State Materials 3.0
MATE Technical Elective 3.0
 Credits9
Spring
MATE Selected Core Courses 6.0
Technical Elective 3.0
 Credits9
Second Year
Fall
MATE 898 Master's Thesis (or Technical Elective) 3.0
Technical Electives 6.0
 Credits9
Winter
MATE 898 Master's Thesis (or Technical Elective) 6.0
MATE Selected Core Course 3.0
 Credits9
 Total Credits45

MS-MSE CO-OP Option

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
FallCredits
COOP 500 Career Management and Professional Development for Master's Degree Students 1.0
MATE Selected Core Course 3.0
MATE Technical Electives 6.0
 Credits10
Winter
MATE 510 Thermodynamics of Solids 3.0
MATE 512 Introduction to Solid State Materials 3.0
MATE Technical Elective 3.0
 Credits9
Spring
MATE Selected Core Courses 6.0
Technical Elective 3.0
 Credits9
Summer
Technical Elective 3.0
Technical Elective 3.0
Technical Elective 3.0
 Credits9
Second Year
Fall
COOP EXPERIENCE 0.0
 Credits0
Winter
COOP EXPERIENCE 0.0
 Credits0
Spring
MATE Selected Core Course 3.0
Technical Electives 6.0
 Credits9
 Total Credits46

Program Level Outcomes

  • Materials Science and Engineering program graduates possess the core technical competencies in their field necessary to successfully interface with other engineering disciplines in the workplace.
  • Materials Science and Engineering program graduates are leaders in their chosen fields.
  • Materials Science and Engineering program graduates are engaged in lifelong learning.
  • Materials Science and Engineering program graduates possess written and verbal communication skills appropriate for professional materials engineers and/or scientists. 
 

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty

Michel Barsoum, PhD (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). Distinguished Professor. Processing and characterization of novel ceramics and ternary compounds, especially the MAX and 2-D MXene phases.
Jason Baxter, PhD (University of California, Santa Barbara). Associate Professor. Solar cells, semiconductor nanomaterials, ultrafast spectroscopy.
Hao Cheng, PhD (Northwestern University). Assistant Professor. Drug delivery, molecular self-assembly, cell-nanomaterial interactions, regenerative medicine and cell membrane engineering.
Adam K. Fontecchio, PhD (Brown University) Vice Dean, Graduate College. Professor. Electro-optics; remote sensing; active optical elements; liquid crystal devices.
Alexander Fridman, DSc, PhD (Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology) Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics, John A. Nyheim Endowed University Chair Professor, Director of the Drexel Plasma Institute. Professor. Plasma science and technology; pollutant mitigation; super-adiabatic combustion; nanotechnology and manufacturing.
Yury Gogotsi, PhD (Kiev Polytechnic Institute) Director, A. J. Drexel Nanotechnology Institute. Distinguished University & Trustee Chair Professor. Nanomaterials; carbon nanotubes; nanodiamond; graphene; MXene; materials for energy storage, supercapacitors, and batteries.
Haviva M. Goldman, PhD (City University of New York) Neurobiology and Anatomy. Associate Professor. Understanding how the size and shape of whole bones, as well as the distribution quantity and quality of the mineralized tissue that forms the bone, reflect both evolutionary constraints of skeletal growth and development, and responsiveness to mechanical loading during life.
Lin Han, PhD (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). Assistant Professor. Nanoscale structure-property relationships of biological materials, genetic and molecular origins soft joint tissue diseases, biomaterials under extreme conditions, coupling between stimulus-responsiveness and geometry.
Maher Harb, PhD (University of Toronto). Assistant Professor. Solid state physics, ultrafast electron diffraction, time-resolved X-ray diffraction, ultrafast lasers, nanofabrication, nano/microfluidics, instrument development, vacuum technologies.
Haifeng Frank Ji, PhD (Chinese Academy of Sciences). Professor. <em>Chemistry</em> Micromechancial sensors for biological and environmental applications; Nanomechanical drug screening technology.
Vibha Kalra, PhD (Cornell University) Chemical and Biological Engineering. Assistant Professor. Electrodes for energy storage and conversion; supercapacitors; Li-S batteries; fuel cells; flow batteries; electrospinning for nanofibers; molecular dynamics simulations; Nanotechnology, polymer nanocomposites.
Richard Knight, PhD (Loughborough University) Associate Department Head and Undergraduate Advisor. Teaching Professor. Thermal plasma technology; thermal spray coatings and education; plasma chemistry and synthesis.
E. Caglan Kumbur, PhD (Pennsylvania State University). Associate Professor. <em>Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics</em> Next generation energy technologies; fuel cell design and development.
Harry G. Kwatny, PhD (University of Pennsylvania) S. Herbert Raynes Professor of Mechanical Engineering. Professor. Dynamic systems analysis; stochastic optimal control; control of electric power plants and systems.
Leslie Lamberson, PhD (California Institute of Technology) P.C. Chou Assistant Professor of Mechanical Angineering. Assistant Professor. Dynamic behavior of materials, dynamic fracture, damage micromechanics, active materials.
Kenneth K.S. Lau, PhD (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Chemical and Biological Engineering. Associate Professor. Surface science; nanotechnology; polymer thin films and coatings; chemical vapor deposition.
Christopher Y. Li, PhD (University of Akron). Professor. Soft and hybrid materials for optical, energy, and bio applications; polymeric materials, nanocomposites, structure and properties.
Andrew Magenau, PhD (University of Southern Mississippi). Assistant Professor. Structurally complex materials exhibiting unique physical properties designed and fabricated using an assortment of methodologies involving directed self-assembly, externally applied stimuli, structure-function correlation, and applied engineering principles suited for technologies in regenerative medicine, biological interfacing, catalytic, electronic, and optical applications
Michele Marcolongo, PhD, PE (University of Pennsylvania) Department Head. Professor. Orthopedic biomaterials; acellular regenerative medicine, biomimetic proteoglycans; hydrogels.
Steven May, PhD (Northwestern University). Associate Professor. Synthesis of complex oxide films, superlattices, and devices; materials for energy conversion and storage; magnetic and electronic materials; x-ray and neutron scattering.
Bahram Nabet, PhD (University of Washington) Associate Dean for Special Projects, College of Engineering; Electrical and Computer Engineering. Professor. Optoelectronics; fabrication and modeling; fiber optic devices; nanoelectronics; nanowires.
Giuseppe R. Palmese, PhD (University of Delaware) Department Head, Chemical and Biological Engineering. Professor. Reacting polymer systems; nanostructured polymers; radiation processing of materials; composites and interfaces.
Ekaterina Pomerantseva, PhD (Moscow State University, Russia). Assistant Professor. Solid state chemistry; electrochemical characterization, lithium-ion batteries, energy generation and storage; development and characterization of novel nanostructured materials, systems and architectures for batteries, supercapacitors and fuel cells.
Caroline L. Schauer, PhD (SUNY Stony Brook) Graduate Advisor. Associate Professor. Polysaccharide thin films and nanofibers.
Wan Y. Shih, PhD (Ohio State University). Associate Professor. Piezoelectric microcantilever biosensors development, piezoelectric finger development, quantum dots development, tissue elasticity imaging, piezoelectric microcantilever force probes.
Wei-Heng Shih, PhD (Ohio State University). Professor. Colloidal ceramics and sol-gel processing; piezoelectric biosensors, optoelectronics, and energy harvesting devices; nanocrystalline quantum dots for bioimaging, lighting, and solar cells.
Karl Sohlberg, PhD (University of Delaware). Associate Professor. <em>Chemistry</em> Computational and theoretical materials-related chemistry: (1) complex catalytic materials; (2) mechanical and electrical molecular devices.
Jonathan E. Spanier, PhD (Columbia University) Associate Dean, Strategic Planning, College of Engineering. Professor. Light-matter interactions in electronic materials, including ferroelectric semiconductors, complex oxide thin film science; laster spectroscopy, including Raman scattering.
Kara Spiller, PhD (Drexel University). Assistant Professor. Macrophage-biometerial interactions, drug delivery systems, and chronic would healing. Cell-biomaterial interactions, biomaterial design, and international engineering education.
Mitra Taheri, PhD (Carnegie Mellon University) Hoeganeas Associate Professor of Metallurgy. Associate Professor. Development of the ultrafast Dynamic Transmission Electron Microscope (DTEM) for the study of laser-induced microstructural evolution/phase transformations in nanostructured materials; use of various <em>in-situ </em>Transmission Electron Microscopy techniques.
Garritt Tucker, PhD (Georgial Institute of Technology). Assistant Professor. Computational materials science and engineering; microstructural evolutiona nd material behavior in extreme environments; interfacial-driven processes for improving material functionality; multi-scale physics modeling.
Christopher Weinberger, PhD (Stanford University). Assistant Professor. <em>Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics</em> Multiscale materials modeling of mechanical properties including DFT, atomistics, mesoscale and microscale FEM modeling.
Christopher Weyant, PhD (Northwestern University). Associate Teaching Professor.
Margaret Wheatley, PhD (University of Toronto) John M. Reid Professor. Ultrasound contrast agent development (tumor targeting and triggered drug delivery), controlled release technology (bioactive compounds), microencapsulated allografts (<em>ex vivo </em> gene therapy) for spinal cord repair.
Antonios Zavaliangos, PhD (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) A.W. Grosvenor Professor. Professor. Constitutive modeling; powder compaction and sintering; pharmaceutical tableting, X-ray tomography.

Emeritus Faculty

Roger D. Corneliussen, PhD (University of Chicago). Professor Emeritus. Fracture, blends and alloys, as well as compounding.
Roger D. Doherty, PhD (Oxford University). Professor Emeritus. Metallurgical processing; thermo-mechanical treatment.
Ihab L. Kamel, PhD (University of Maryland). Professor Emeritus. Nanotechnology, polymers, composites, biomedical applications, and materials-induced changes through plasma and high energy radiation.
Jack Keverian, PhD (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). Professor Emeritus. Rapid parts manufacturing, computer integrated manufacturing systems, strip production systems, technical and/or economic modeling, melting and casting systems, recycling systems.
Alan Lawley, PhD (University of Birmingham, England). Professor Emeritus. Mechanical and physical metallurgy, powder metallurgy, materials engineering design, engineering education.